Diagnosing ADHD & ID in African-American Children

Dr. Umar Johnson, a licensed psychologist in the state of Pennsylvania who specializes in early childhood assessments indicates that there is a very high prevalence of ADHD diagnosis in African-American boys in public schools that is mostly linked to environmental causes, that he has coined, “Ain’t No Daddy at Home Disorder.” (keep reading)

Oppositional Defiant Disorder in Children & Adolescents

"Despite advances in the DSM-5 to make the criteria more specific and reliable, the current conceptualization of Oppositional Defiant Disorder is purported to be too general and broad in nature, making it easier to over-diagnose children and adolescents who wouldn’t otherwise meet the criteria" - Click here to read entire article

​Developing a Racial Identity in the Context of White Supremacy

Often times, to advance within the American system and in corporate America, African-Americans are met with the challenge of sacrificing their own cultural values and traditions to meet the expectations and demands of the dominant culture. This experience is shared by many other minorities from other ethnic groups across America, especially among immigrants who move to America in search of a better life. They more than often find themselves having to give up their traditional values of family and collectivism to advance through the ranks in an individualistic, every man for himself, capitalist society. (keep reading)

Emotion Regulation Training in Youth Residential Treatment Centers

Essentially, it boils down to the way in which the human body and brain work. When we are in a situation where our mind perceives danger or fear, it causes the rest of the body to act accordingly. Many of the boys on the unit where I worked were diagnosed with PTSD and had a very low trigger threshold. Almost any stimulus from the environment, whether it was a direct instruction from a staff member or the smell of eggs and bacon cooking in the kitchen, was a trigger for those boys and would set them off. ​(keep reading)

SURVIVING RACIAL OPPRESSION IN THE 21ST CENTURY

​Being an African-American woman means that I have to work twice as hard in all aspects of life. Not so much to prove anything to myself – but to prove to others around me that I am a good enough citizen in this society. Going to school and graduating with a bachelor’s degree in psychology wasn’t enough, and neither was earning a master’s degree in counseling. If I want to be respected in society and in corporate America, I would need to get a PhD and become a doctor. (keep reading)

Overcoming Internalized Racism

​When I first read, “Internalized Racism: One More Piece of the Puzzle” by Suzette L Speight, I felt that it was the most depressing thing I’ve read in a very long time. In the article, she talks about the negative short-term and long-term psychological consequences of racism and analyzes ways in which African-Americans are oppressed. She refers to these as conditions which can help psychologists understand the various functions of racism. They include exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, systemic violence, and cultural imperialism, which she describes as the “conduit through which subordinate groups come to internalize their oppression” by accepting the racial oppression as the norm. In describing the first four conditions, it felt easy as an African-American to digest the well-known types of racial oppression as it points the finger back to the main culprit and perpetrator – the system of White Supremacy.

Although exploitation, marginalization and systemic violence are all very terrifying facets of the African-American experience, they are what we as African-Americans have been accustomed to and have lived with all of our lives while on American soil. We’re used to seeing Blacks exploited on television, marginalized, beaten, killed, disempowered, and taken advantage of. We have become used to this system of White Supremacy and racial oppression almost to the point that those external factors don’t have an impact on us hardly anymore – at least not on a level that moves us to bring about real lasting change. (keep reading)

Overcoming Systematic Racial Oppression and White Supremacy

I find it very interesting the way in which racism has been defined and talked about in our country. Some see it as some vile and inhumane act perpetrated by one race against another while others see it as a necessary role or function of American society. In the media, we’ve seen countless instances where a White male cop pulls over an African-American driver in a traffic stop and approaches the driver’s car with a drawn loaded gun in his hand. Even more recently, there have been several cases surfaced in the news where the driver of the car was a Black female. No matter the gender of the person, I always thought it was strange the way cops treated African-Americans. There could be just as much crime and illegal activity occurring in predominantly White neighborhoods, yet the presence of police in Black neighborhoods far exceeds that of a majority White community. (keep reading)

My Thoughts on Diagnosis: Treating the Culturally Diverse

SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 - When I was first introduced to the DSM-IV TR back in 2004, I felt very excited about my career path as a therapist turned clinical psychologist, knowing that there was a manual that existed that described every mental illness imaginable. I thought it was very crafty and genius that a bunch of researchers, doctors, and scientists from various disciplines could come together and exchange ideas that would lead to a general consensus concerning an individual’s mental state of being. The idea that there was a classification system that had already been tried and tested over many years used by other clinicians in the field was reassuring and motivating because it would soon become the book that I would be trained to use in the months to come. (keep reading)

Counseling Clients with Gender Issues

Before someone learns someone's name, they are already making an assumption about that person based on the way they look, which is mainly a function of that person's race, class, and gender. Within our society, there are many stereotypes that exist concerning these three social constructs. For example, women are viewed as emotional creatures who are nurturing, sensitive, and weak, while men are viewed as competent, strong, and goal-oriented. Racism in our country is influenced by racial stereotypes, such as Blacks are ignorant, lazy, and poor, Whites are smart, rich, and happy, Chinese are hard-working and good fighters, Asians are good at (keep reading)

Keyshia Cole: Dysfunctional Family Ties

I'm not much of a big fan of television, but there are a few shows that grab my attention. Keyshia Cole, an African-American R&B singer, whose life has been everything but normal decided to air her personal life story in a reality TV show in 2006 entitled, Keyshia Cole – The Way it Is. The show highlighted her experiences of being a platinum selling R&B artist and what life was like for her growing up as an orphan without a mother and father. Her biological mother, Frankie abandoned her when she was a toddler and left her in the hands of a close family friend, Yvonne, who would be her primary caretaker from age three through her adult years. Keyshia's mother Frankie, who has six other children, all from different men, struggled to find her way on the streets of Oakland, California. Since Keyshia Cole was born, Frankie has battled with her addiction to (keep reading)

Dream Pathways Founder Meets "Neffe," author of The Price I Paid

Neffeteria Pugh, better known as “Neffe” has seen and done it all. Most people remember her as the co-star from the hit reality TV show, “Keyshia Cole – The Way It Is” where she stripped herself bare and revealed some of her deepest and most shameful secrets from her past failed marriage. “We had threesomes… we broke ALL the vowels” Neffe openly admits in an episode from the show. “But the first step to change is realizing that you need to change right? Change is good,” Neffe states after leaving behind the drama and mistakes of her past and moving to the city of Atlanta, GA to reconnect and live with her sister and R&B star, Keyshia Cole. Neffe adds, “Moving to Atlanta was the best thing that could have happened to me. I was able to get away from all of the stuff that kept bringing me down, down, down.” (read entire article)

Treating Adult Children of Alcoholics

Treating individuals with alcoholism can be a lengthy and challenging process. Counseling families where there is chemical dependency is a much more complicated and extensive process that requires an intimate look – not only at the relationship an individual has with a substance, but also a deeper look into the impact the substance has on the entire family system. From my research, I have learned several eye-opening facts about alcohol and the detrimental impact it can have on an individual and subsequently the children of the individual with alcoholism that I explore within the context of this article. These revelatory truths are pertinent for any clinician working with recovering alcoholics, especially mental health counselors and it’s important to first dispel the myths concerning addiction recovery, beginning with the assumption that once an alcoholic becomes sober, the rest of the family will get better automatically. It goes without saying that what affects one person affects those around them. In the context of addictions counseling, this anecdote rings true. When a husband leaves work and stops at a Seven Eleven to pick up a 12 pack of beer, goes home, flops down on the couch and immediately cracks open one can after another until the whole pack of beer is no more, it will inevitably raise a concern. His wife, who is clean and sober and expects her husband to have enough ego strength to resist temptation and deal more effectively and responsibly with the stress from his workplace, ignores her husband’s behavior and goes into the other room to watch TV. (read entire article)

Free Vocational Training for High School Students

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: Looking for a way to gain some experience in your chosen field and make a lasting contribution to your community while doing it? Email dreampathwayskids@gmail.com (subject: Volunteer UBAWA) for more info.

PURSUIT OF GREATNESS

Saturday School. Suspension. Referrals. Expulsion.

What do these have in common? They coexist in our public school systems. They are ultimately defined and denoted as consequences, absent of counter incentives, for our youth and in particular our young urban African American youth, meted out by public school administrations across the United States of America.

This is an epidemic in one of the most basic forms. Locally. Socially. Worldwide. (continue reading)

Dream Pathways Kids READ!

Empower a child or teen and give the gift of reading by donating new or gently used books to Dream Pathways Kids READ! literacy program. Our goal is to collect 100 books every month (for ages 5 and up) to support children, teens, and young adults living in low-income areas throughout Atlanta. To make a donation click the donate button below:

American Dreamer - The Life of Danielle Unveiled Coming Soon

The long awaited autobiography of Danielle Leach, founder and CEO of Dream Pathways, Coach Me to Publish, and UBAWA, is finally on its way and coming to a bookstore near you. Its malleable tone invites the reader to digest a memoir that is filled with gratifying ingredients of hope, inspiration, and truth. It tells the story of a college grad whose emphasizes the importance of having faith and hope in spite of the many denials and trials we come to face. While on her way to achieve the American dream, she discovered something vital to her existence and the well-being of all people that she shares within the pages of the book. Though she’s reached insurmountable heights and accomplished many great things, she asserts “Success is not measured by what you have done, but is attributed to who you will become.” Her story is a true success story. Learn more about her book and her journey to becoming an author by clicking here. Pre-Order Your Copy today by clicking here.Join the fan page by clicking here.

Discovering Authors across America

Click on the photo of each author to learn more about them, their journey towards becoming an author, and what they have planned next. Join our fan page at www.facebook.com/dreampathwaysmagazine.

Many teen girls are insecure about themselves. For example a 12 year old girl who just moved to a new area and entering the 6th grade will face many challenges. Being in a new area and trying to make friends at a new school can be a task in itself. But what if within the first week things were not turning out as great as her mom assured her? What if she was constantly being picked on and had yet to make any new friends or her grades started to drop? This may trigger changes in her actions. She may start complaining about going to school and eventually start skipping classes or maybe even school altogether. It might even cause her to act out at home or start socializing with other delinquent teens to fit in. Eventually this could lead her down a path of substance abuse among other things. (read entire article)

At 10:00pm a woman receives a call from her youngest child’s father, whom at the time was 28 years old and a newly wed. Crying hysterically, he tells her that he is a poor excuse of a man and does not deserve to live. The woman asks for his current location and reassures him that whatever is happening will be alright and that she will help him overcome whatever is bothering him. She then mutes the phone and tells those around her that he is talking foolishly as if he wants to die. Her friend advises her to take his words seriously and her sister insists that she speak with him. After taking the phone off mute the woman then tells the man that someone wishes to speak to him and passes the phone on to her sister. Once on the phone the sister says “Hello. Hello. Are you there?” All she could hear were cars (read entire article)

Recreational Sports

With so much crime that is evident in society today, particularly in the urban inner cities in America, children are faced with major socioeconomic disenfranchisement such as high crime rates, drug infestation, broken homes, and violence within the public schools. One of the best ways a child/youth can combat those problems and their own personal struggles is to release the tension by taking up after school recreational sports like football, baseball, or join the cheerleading squad within their communities. Children/youth that devote their time, effort, and their energy into playing after school sports have a less chance of...(read entire article)

Single Mothers Living on Minimum Wage

Meet Dawn Jasper, a single mother of three who took some time out of her day to share with us her story. Dream Pathways: Tell us a little bit about your story. Dawn: I'm a single mother of 3 (ages 13, 7, and 5). I spent eight and half years on active duty with the Air Force and one and a half years with the Air Force Reserve. I left active duty because my youngest child had sickle cell disease. The military wanted me to deploy even though her father was already serving in Iraq. After going a year without work I finally got a job as an admin assistant at the local hospital in my hometown. (read entire interview)

Dream Pathways Kids READ!

Dream Pathways Kids READ! is a national, year-round reading program for children, teens, and young adults ages 5-25. Every month, we select and reward program participants with a free gift pack that includes a free copy of "Do Dreams Come True" (read-create version), a My Dream Workbook, a My Dream Journal, and their choice of a free t-shirt or a totebag. To register, please email dreampathwayskids@gmail.com with your Name, Age, City/State, School Name, and the subject heading: DP Kids Reading Program.

Please Note: All participants must be between the ages of 5-25 and complete the "Reading Book List" form by December 15th. Children under the age of 18 must be registered by a legal guardian to participate.